


Broken

by Th3_Morrigan



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Fluff, Hurt, Language, Marriage, Married Life, Romance, Violence, WIP, maybe smut but no promises at this point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-13 01:25:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15353163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Th3_Morrigan/pseuds/Th3_Morrigan
Summary: Mary had resigned herself to thinking that probably this time they would never be together again, and yet here they were.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've actually posted like two chapters of this a year or so ago but I took it down because I was personally not happy with it. A million revisions later and here it is again, hopefully better.
> 
> This is also my first multi-chapter thing.

1868

The fighting was intense around Mary. The Blighters and their Templar leaders were getting desperate now that Starrick was dead. She knew the Rooks needed a little extra effort to defend their stronghold. She, along with the other lieutenants rallied them to fight.

She took on Blighter after Blighter, punching, stabbing, maiming her way through the crowd, her group of Rooks following suit. Their attackers kept coming at them relentlessly, but she and her group stood their ground.

"Look out!" Jonathan yelled, holding up his gun and pointing it directly at her. Years of fighting side by side with him triggered her instinct to duck, and he fired, his bullet whistling dangerously close to her head before hitting a Blighter right behind her, between the eyes.

"Seriously, Jon! Would it kill you to warn me sooner?" 

Jonathan chuckled as he continued to take down Blighter after Blighter with precise aim. "You're welcome." 

She continued pressing forward until she came upon Jacob going up against five Blighters by himself. The cocky son of a bitch was smiling, despite the blood trickling down his face from a gash on his forehead.

She thought about helping him out, but she didn't. He was capable enough to handle himself. He's gone up against more than that before.

Turning away from him, she began her relentless attack on the enemy once more, until she heard Evie shout.

"Jacob!" It was a warning more than anything. She whirled around and found Evie a few meters behind her, looking to the rooftops. 

Mary followed her gaze and saw the glint of metal. The sniper on the roof had his gun trained on Jacob. Her gaze flew back to him. He hadn't heard Evie at all. He was too busy pummeling a Blighter with his cane to take notice.

"Shit." She took off toward Jacob as fast as she could.

Evie called to him again, just as he had taken care of the last of his attackers.  He looked up and saw Mary barreling straight toward him. The gunshot cracked just as she tackled him, and they both fell to the ground.

She felt the impact of the bullet on her upper arm, and for a split second she was relieved to know it hadn't gotten to him.

Then came the pain. 

"What in the bloody hell…?" He said from beneath her, rather irritated. 

She quickly got off him, ascertaining he was alright. 

"Did you just tackle me?" He asked, incredulous. 

Her brow furrowed.  "You ungrateful-"

She chose that moment to clench her fist in anger, and pain seared through her arm. She saw white, and the words died in her mouth.

"Jacob!" Evie said as she came running, "Are you alright?"

Jacob turned to his sister, and Mary chose that moment to slip away.  She didn't think she could deal with him right now.

She disappeared back into the fray, gritting her teeth through the pain of her wound.

*** 

Despite the Blighter's do-or-die determination, the Rooks overpowered them in the end and they retained their hold over Whitechapel. Seeing a lot of their numbers critically hurt or dead, the remaining Blighters either surrendered or defected.  

In the aftermath of the fight, the Rooks gathered their wounded and tried to patch them up as best as they could.  

Mary was helping up Anna, a fairly new Rook, when a strong hand gripped her injured arm. She winced and looked around to see Jacob, a slight frown on his face.  The nasty gash on his forehead had been patched up.

"What are you doing?" he asked. He motioned for another Rook to take care of Anna while he pulled Mary to the side by her good arm.

"I'm trying to help," she said.

"You're injured. You need tending to as well," he said, inspecting the bloody rag tied hastily round her wound.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively.

The blood didn't show on the black of her coat, but he could see it dripping off her finger tips.

"Come with me" He tugged her good arm and led her into the building.

"The others need more help than I do," she started to protest. 

"You're bleeding. Profusely, I might add. That little patch up of yours is doing nothing for you."

The grip on her arm grew stronger and her efforts to break free were useless. She let herself be led into the stronghold, to the kitchen. He made her sit on the table so he could get a better view of her injured upper arm. Jacob removed the rag and helped her out of her coat, tutting disapprovingly at the blood-soaked sleeve of her shirt.

"It's a wonder you're still standing," he said as he moved  quickly around  the kitchen picking things up that he needed: a knife, a bowl of water, some rags, and a bottle of whiskey.

He went back to the table and set the things down. He offered her the whiskey, and she took a couple of swigs. Taking hold of the sleeve of her shirt, he ripped it up to the bleeding gunshot wound.

"My shirt!"

"You are unbelievable. You're practically bleeding to death and you're more concerned about your shirt."

"Yes, well I'm sorry if I wasn't born rich like you," she said, spitting out that last remark.

"Yes, well you're not destitute  either, seeing as you can just steal anything you need now, yeah?" he retorted.

Mary realized they were starting up the arguments again, so she remained quiet. She didn't have the strength to fight him. Not now.

Jacob  grew quiet too and proceeded to remove his gauntlet and heavy leather coat to be able to move more freely for what he was about to do.  He also removed his belt, which he held up, flat side facing up, to her mouth.

"Bite," he said, nudging the belt at her lip.

With a sigh, she bit down on the leather belt and Jacob went to work on her wound.

He doused it with the whiskey, then worked his way into the hole to try and fish out the bullet. It was a good thing it didn't go in deep. By the time he had it out, she had bit down so hard on his belt her teeth left marks. Tears were streaming down her face. She was swaying where she sat too, the pain taking its toll on her.

He gave the open wound another slosh of whiskey before cleaning it and wrapping it up with some clean rags. He took the belt from her mouth and gathered her into his arms.  She didn't have the strength to protest.  For the moment, she was grateful for the support and she leaned her head on his shoulder to sob the last of the pain away as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Evie told me what you did," he said quietly into her hair.  "That was very stupid of you risking your life like that."

Mary could only manage a grunt.  Trust him to blame her for being stupid at the most inappropriate time, but he surprised her by cupping her face in his hand.  He brought her head up so he was looking into her eyes.

He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Thank you," he said before leaning in to give her a gentle kiss on her lips.

She could smell him- the smell of musk and sweat and leather and gunpowder- an old familiar comforting smell, and it had hit her like a wave then just how much she had missed him.  She returned the kiss, and was more than happy to find Jacob responding.  His hold on her tightened and he deepened his kiss.

They had had another row a month and a half prior.  It had been the longest they had been apart.   He had been making their separation more difficult, incessantly flirting with other women whenever he knew she was around. He wouldn't even talk to her directly.  He would ask Rooks to tell her what he needed to say, even if they were just two feet apart. It was difficult, not only for her and the Rooks, but for Evie too, as she was often caught in a quandary between her brother and her friend.

Mary had resigned herself to thinking that probably this time they would never be together again, and yet here they were. 

Jacob was the first to pull away. He smiled at her, hand still gently cupping her face.

"I'm sorry."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. " _You're_ apologizing?" It had always been a battle of wills as to who would apologize first whenever they fought. Despite whose fault it was, Mary always found herself the first one to cave in, so this was definitely a surprise. 

He rolled his eyes at her, trying to suppress a smile. "Yes."

"And this isn't just because I nearly died trying to save your life?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "You didn't nearly die. Don't be so dramatic."

"You were the one who said you were surprised I was still standing."

"Well, I'm certainly glad you're alright." He kissed her again before wrapping her back up in his arms.

Evie chose that time to make an appearance.

"Jacob, I've sent for a doctor.  I can't find- Oh. I see you've found her." She gave her brother a knowing smile and walked over to them.

Mary looked up at her boss from Jacob's shoulder and gave her a weak smile.

"Are you alright?" She asked Mary. "I've sent for a doctor."

"There's no need. I've patched her up." Jacob said, dismissing her.

_"You_ did? Dear God." Evie nudged Jacob out of the way and looked over Mary's bandaged wound. "He didn't cauterize you, did he?"

Mary shook her head.

"Good."  Turning to her brother, she growled "If my friend dies of an infection I will kill you.  Did you apologize to her?"

"Yes, Evie, I did," Jacob hissed through gritted teeth.  She was older than Jacob by a few minutes but he swore that sometimes it felt more like a few decades, what with her badgering.

"Did he apologize properly?" Evie asked Mary. 

"Evie!" Jacob said, exasperated. He elbowed his sister out of the way so he could stand in front of Mary again. 

Mary laughed (or at least tried to). "Yes, he apologized good."  She, like Henry, had learned to love the two of them bickering all the time.

 "See," Jacob said, gathering Mary in his arms protectively, "I apologized good.  Now if you'll excuse us, I was just going to take her home."

"To rest, Jacob, okay?"

"Sure, yeah," Jacob smirked as he helped Mary to her feet.

"Jacob!" Evie scolded again, "She's injured. She needs rest!"

"Yes, mother, I'll make sure she gets her rest." He was still grinning. 

"You're incorrigible!"

"I love you too." Jacob said giving his sister a  little flying kiss as he led Mary outside.

***

Mary had an apartment not far from the Whitechapel stronghold. It was a gift from Edward, her former boss and head of the now defunct Clinkers. This had been the one place she had always considered home, and this was where Jacob had brought her.

He had his arm around her for support the whole time since they left  and Mary thought it was ridiculous.

"I can still walk and move properly with an injured arm, you know," she said.

"I _am_ aware of  that.  But you're weak from blood loss and all.  Wouldn't want you fainting and hitting your head on the ground." He held her a little closer, and she let him.  She had missed this silly man more than she wanted to admit, and she was glad he was back with her again.

He fussed over her when they arrived home.  He made her some tea and brought out some fruit, encouraged her to eat to get some of her strength back.  She was thankful for his care and his company.  It made the pain all the more bearable.

They settled into familiar conversation, as if they hadn't had a two-month long fight and had just made up. It was always so easy to get comfortable with Jacob.  Not long after, she found herself tucked into his side, his arm around her and stroking her hair while he animatedly recounted how he saved a citizen from two Blighters by running them over with a carriage.

"You should have seen the look on that lady's face.  She was more angry about the fact that I had splashed mud on her bleeding dress than having been attacked by two Blighters! Talk about ungrateful."

Mary chuckled and buried herself deeper in Jacob's warmth. The ache of her wound was down to a dull throb. There was a lull in the conversation and they just sat in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company, as the day drew to a close outside. Jacob was still stroking her hair and she was tracing the knuckles of his other hand with her finger. She wished they could stay like this forever.

"Jacob, I think-"

"Mary, I was-"

They smiled at each other, at the awkwardness of speaking at the same time.

"You go first.  What was it you were saying, love?" Jacob asked

Mary dipped her head. "Would you - would you be moving back in?" She couldn't believe her own forwardness, but she felt she just had to ask him.

She could feel him smiling as he kissed the top of her head. "If you would have me, of course. I would love to."

There was silence while Mary waited for him to speak.  But he didn't.

She poked him. "Well, what were you going to say?"

"Nothing. Never mind."

Mary disengaged herself from him and sat up properly so she could face him. "What were you going to say?"

Jacob smiled sheepishly. She fancied she could see him blush. She poked him once more, this time in his ribs.

"What, Jacob, what?" She poked him some more and he batted her hand away.

"Stop! Sodding- stop it! You know I'm ticklish!" He was giggling like a girl.  Of course she knew his one weakness. How could she not? 

"Tell me then! 

Jacob finally managed to grab Mary's hand and end the torture.  

"Okay," Jacob finally said after settling down. "I wanted to ask you if, you know, maybe if - if you ever thought about it, perhaps…" 

"Perhaps what?" 

"Well, perhaps, if you would like to, I mean if you can…" 

"Jacob, you're babbling." 

"Yes, I am aware of that." 

She cupped his face with her good hand so he would look her directly in the eye. "You wanted to ask me if?" 

Jacob sighed, trying so hard to keep eye contact. "I was wondering if, that is to say…" 

"Out with it, man!"

"Canyoumarryme?" It came exactly like one whole word.

"- _Can_ I?"

"I mean _will_ you?  _Will_ you marry me?"

Mary was stunned into silence.  She was not expecting that at all. 

Jacob didn't like the sound of silence. "Oh God.  Is that a no?"

"No, Jacob."

Jacob's face fell. Mary panicked.  That wasn't what she meant to say.  "I mean, wait!  I didn't mean 'no, I won't marry you'." 

"So you will?" 

"Hang on a moment." Her head was spinning. "Why?  Why do you want to marry me? Why now?"

Jacob held her by the hips and moved her so that she was straddling him and they were face to face.

"Because I want to, and because the last two months without you was hell." 

Hearing him admit that was more than she could take.  She leaned in for a kiss and he held her tightly while they locked lips.

"I don't think," Jacob said between kisses, " that I could bear for us to be apart again."

"So do I," Mary said, breathless.

"So is that a yes?"

"Yes," Mary said, kissing him again. "Absolutely!" 

***

Evie was thrilled with the news. She joked that Mary could have done better with her choice.  That earned her one of Jacob's socks thrown directly at her face, and they all had a good laugh. 

Evie couldn't have chosen a better partner for her brother.  Mary was exactly what he needed.  Being both Evie's friend and Jacob's lover, she was the voice of reason whenever the two of them started to argue. Granted she almost always took Evie's side but she was able to talk reason to Jacob. She curbed his reckless abandon for life, made him think about consequences before action.  She made him think about other people, she made him a better man.  

The wedding was a simple affair with only Evie, Henry, Agnes and Jonathan as witness.  Parties were thrown in the pubs all around Whitechapel where the rest of the Rooks celebrated their boss' wedding.  After the festivities Jacob and Mary went off to their honeymoon.  They never got to see much of the countryside because they spent most of their time consummating the marriage over and over again. 

They got back to London a few days later, still giddy from their time alone together.  Jacob had insisted on carrying his new bride up two flights of stairs and over the threshold of her - their- apartment. They giggled all their way up, the poor carriage driver following in their wake with their bags in tow.  Jacob tipped him handsomely for his being such a good sport (and he _had_ been a good sport, all the way from the countryside when he had to endure their overly enthusiastic sounds of lovemaking from inside the cab).

When the driver had left, Mary noticed a letter on the console table by the door.  It had the Assassin's logo and Mary's name on it written in Evie's flowery script.

"Mrs. Frye," Jacob read the name on the envelope from over her shoulder.  "I do love the sound of that."

Curious, she took the letter to the couch, took a seat and began to read it.

 

_My dearest Mary,_

_First of all let me congratulate you on finally getting my brother to commit to something worthwhile. Do not doubt his love for you, even though he can be a prick sometimes. He holds you in very high regard. I suggest you use that to your advantage should you need it._

_On to more serious matters, your curiosity into the matter of the Brotherhood to which Jacob and I belong has not escaped our attention. Henry has told me you have been perusing books in his library pertaining to the Brotherhood. I will  not begrudge you this. In fact I welcome it. As you may have noticed, the London Assassins are short-handed and we have been thinking of recruiting initiates to join our ranks. I would like to have the pleasure of inviting you to join us and become one of our initiates. Your skill and loyalty to the Rooks and to the Brotherhood have not gone unnoticed. We could certainly use someone like you._

_I welcome you to the family, and I hope you would accept this invitation to join the Brotherhood._

_Also, thank you for saving my stupid brother._

_Sincerely,_ _Evie_

 

Mary had to read the letter twice for it to sink in. "She's asking me to join the Assassins."

"We both are," Jacob said, taking a seat beside her.

"I am aware this isn't just some gang like the Rooks.  This is a commitment." 

Jacob nodded. "A lifetime commitment." 

Mary sat silent for a moment, pensive.

"Mary," Jacob said stroking her hair.  He could sense her trepidation. "It's okay if you decline.  I will not love you any less for it."

She smiled and took him in her arms. "Oh, Jacob, no. I mean, I will join.  I will.  I have always wanted to, you know that. I'm just so overcome by the amount of trust you and Evie have in me right now."

Jacob laughed. "I trusted you to be my wife and it's only now you're overwhelmed."

"You really know how to ruin a moment, Frye." She shoved him away playfully.

"Well, _Mrs_. Frye, I also know how to make moments." He moved to kneel in front of her and wedged himself in between her legs.  He ran his hands up Mary's legs and under her skirt.

"Jacob!" she squealed as he found her soft lips in the opening of her drawers. "You're still not tired of that yet?" 

"Oh no, Mrs. Frye. I don't think I'll ever be tired of this." 

He lifted up her skirt enough to duck his head under and he started kissing his way up her inner thigh.

They made love again before settling down for the night. Mary was still reeling from all the good things that had happened to her in the past month alone. Never before had she felt so accepted, so loved, and so much a part of a family before.  True, back when she met Edward he had taken her in and treated her as his daughter, but there was not really much love involved.  There was respect, yes, but he never fully trusted her because she was a thief.  

She couldn't wait to start her new life with her new husband, and with the Assassins. She was ready, and she was willing to give her life for him and for the Brotherhood.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after their marriage, Jacob and Evie called their new recruits and formally inducted them as initiates into the Brotherhood. They were the best of the Rooks, hand-picked by the twins based on their skill and their loyalty. At least half of them were the surviving members of the now defunct Clinkers, Mary being one of them. On that point, at least, no one could blame the twins for favoritism.

A week after their marriage, Jacob and Evie called their new recruits and formally inducted them as initiates into the Brotherhood. They were the best of the Rooks, hand-picked by the twins based on their skill and their loyalty. At least half of them were the surviving members of the now defunct Clinkers, Mary being one of them. On that point, at least, no one could blame the twins for favoritism. 

Mary was one of the Clinker's valuable assets. She was a thief and a spy. She brought her skills over to the Rooks the day they won them over almost a year ago at Whitechapel. She mostly worked under Henry, acquiring information and other things of value. She worked hard for the Rooks as she did for the Clinkers before them. She wasn't in it for the notoriety. She just wanted to survive.

It was survival that pushed her to go along with her father's plan to help him steal. Mary was the daughter of a thief. He had a gang of petty thieves and they did burglaries from time to time. Her mother, a whore, had left her on his doorstep after giving birth to her. He didn't want Mary, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her out in the cold, so he took her in. When she was old enough to be useful, he started using her in break-ins, because she was small and could fit into little spaces. Eventually he and his merry band of thieves grew fond of her and they taught her the trade, and she became very good at what she did. 

When she was 12 her father and most of his gang were arrested. The remaining gang members dispersed. Nobody bothered with her, so she was left out on the streets and on her own. The factories were not an option for her. She didn't want to be a slave to anyone and work her ass off for next to nothing in return. She became a thief in her own right, stealing what she needed to survive. 

When she was 13 she had broken into the Clinkers stronghold and was trying to rob them but she got found out. Their leader, Edward, seeing how young she was took pity on her and set a proposal before her: he wouldn't punish her if she gave the things back and came and worked for him. She didn't really want to at first, but there was something about Edward that tugged at her heart. He was kind to her, something not even her father was when he was around. She eventually agreed. 

In 1867, the Blighters started terrorizing London. Gangs fell or were absorbed by this fast-rising, highly organized group. The Clinkers were one of the strongest gangs and they resisted. But even with rival gangs joining their side against the Blighters, they were still overrun, until all the Clinkers had left was Whitechapel. 

In 1868, Edward was killed and the Clinkers were on the verge of losing Whitechapel. They fought hard to keep their borough, but it was getting harder and harder, especially without a strong leader to guide them. Then the Frye twins came and offered them another chance at survival. Mary and her companions took it, and the rest, as they say is history. 

Now here they were, the remaining first Rooks, once thugs, thieves and cutthroats, now being given a chance to rise above themselves and become something worthwhile.

The initial meeting was short. A mere introduction into what lay ahead for the initiates. It wasn't all that different from Rooks training after all, except for the additional weapons training and tactical training. They would be given missions, and eventually they would be expanding outward from the city to gain more territory. 

Their training started right after the introduction. Even though they had been fighting since they were Clinkers, the new initiates still found the new lessons rigorous and tiring. Evie, Jacob and Henry pushed them to their limit every day, but none of them complained. Their training was hard, yes, but they loved every minute of it.

A month into their training, the mentors started assigning their initiates missions. They started out simple at first, and gradually grew more complicated. Evie knew Mary's capabilities, and had straightaway given her missions that would take her away a day or two at the most. Jacob had protested at that but Evie stood her ground.

"I wouldn't give her a mission she couldn't handle, Jacob."

"Yes, I know that but you're sending her into Templar territory! Alone!" he was pacing the floor in Henry's office at the curio shop. Evie was sitting at Henry's desk. 

Evie sighed. "Do you remember what father always told us?"

Jacob frowned. "Which one, dear sister? He said so many bloody things I couldn’t keep track."

"Don't let personal feelings get in the way of the mission. You wanted her to be an Assassin, let her be. She needs this. If you're going to worry about her every step of the way, I might just as well make her quit."

Jacob stopped pacing. He realized she was right. His worrying about her would only hold her back. 

"Do you think I don't worry when Henry is away?" Evie asked. 

"Of course, you don't. Have you seen the way he fights?" Underneath that disarming smile, Henry was one very dangerous man. Jacob didn't want to be at the receiving end of his attacks. He looked at his sister. Evie was looking at him with raised eyebrows. "What, you worry about him?"

"Of course I do! And he worries about me. But this is what we do, Jacob. This is our job, this is our oath. Mary knows that as well."

Jacob sighed. She was right, he knew that. He just wasn't used to not having her around. They had been spending every day together since their marriage a couple of months ago and that familiarity had grown on him. They were inseparable.

Evie had noticed, and that was one of the reasons she was sending Mary on long missions. She knew they both had to be reminded that they were part of the Brotherhood now, and that they needed to remember their priorities. She had no problem with Mary. Mary had lived her early years surviving, living in the fringes of society. She was a trained thief, a hired thug, a soldier. She knew what was expected of her. Jacob, on the other hand, was Jacob. He was trained as an Assassin, yes, but she had never seen him in love before, at least not like this.

There was a knock at the door and a Rook appeared. He was a young boy, fifteen perhaps. He held a slip of paper and looked hesitantly at the twins, before clearing his throat and handing it to Evie.

"From one of the lookouts, miss," he said before scurrying out the door. 

Evie read the note and nodded. 

"What you need is a distraction. I have just the thing for you." She handed Jacob the paper. 

He read it and frowned. "Lambeth?"

Evie nodded. "They might resort to burning it down. Take some Rooks with you and go see to it."

With a nod, Jacob turned to go. "Lambeth," he repeated to himself. "Those poor sods."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's eyes grew with fright. It was the leader man with the red cross on his arm band. He was sure of it. 
> 
> They had found him. They had come to finish him.
> 
> For the second time that night he wet his pants, and he started to scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeere's Jack!

_His mama was sobbing._

_He could see her on her knees in the kitchen of their house, begging for mercy, begging for her life. The men were standing around her menacingly. Their leader- the man in the long coat with the red cross on his arm band- demanded once again to know where papa was. He slapped her every time she said she didn't know. When she could barely keep herself upright, one of the men forced her to stand, holding her under her arms. The man leader stepped forward and held her lolling head by the hair so they were face to face._

_"Bring the boy," the man said. Her eyes widened._  
  
_One of the men went over where he was cowering in the corner. He was too scared to move. The man grabbed him by the scruff, stood him up, and put a knife to his throat._

_"No," mama moaned, her eyes meeting his. She could barely speak anymore through her cut and swollen lips._

_"Last chance," the leader man growled. "Where is he?"_

_She was mumbling incoherently now. Her bloodshot eyes were still on him, wishing he didn't have to see all this, pleading for him to understand._

_"I'm sorry, Jack," he heard her say."I'm sorry I don't know."_

_Enraged, the man pulled out a knife and stabbed her. Again and again and again._

_Jack screamed as he watched the blood bloom on his mother's stomach and start to drip down to the floor. He struggled to be free of his captor, but the man was too strong for him._

_The man holding his mother up let her go once her body went limp. It made a sickening thud as it hit the floor and it made Jack scream even louder._

_"Mama! Wake up mama! Mama, get up!"_

_"Shut him up," the leader man said._

_Jack was sure he would be following his mama soon._

_The man holding him whirled him around, but instead of using the knife as Jack was anticipating, he gave him a hard backhanded slap-_

  
And he woke up.

He was lying on the cold floor of his room in the hospital. His pants were wet and the smell of fresh urine wafted up to his nose. He groaned. He had no doubt he was going to get a beating for that.

His bed-wetting was getting to be an every day occurrence now, thanks to his nightmares. Beating him into submission had apparently not worked to alleviate it. Neither had taking away his bed, although he knew that was more for the convenience of the nurses who had to clean up after him more than anything else.

He sat up with his back against the wall and sighed. He didn't bother moving from his puddle of piss. He was so tired but he feared going back to sleep. Sleep never brought anything nowadays but pain and fear, as if he didn't have enough of that in his waking hours.

He tried his best to stay awake, but after a while his tired eyes slipped closed and sleep claimed him once more.

  
_He imagined he heard shouts in the distance._

_No, he thought, not again. They're coming for us again._

_He looked around but he could see only darkness._

_The shouts were getting closer. He fancied he could smell smoke. Something told him he had to run. He stumbled blindly in the dark, his body heavy and refusing to cooperate._

_Suddenly there was a loud bang._

  
Jack jerked with a start and his eyes flew open. There before him he saw the door to his room broken from its hinges, and through the door there were flames. He was utterly confused at the sight. Was he still dreaming? Was this hell?

As if in answer to his question, the silhouette of a man stepped into view, backlit by the flames. The man had a long coat, and he was armed.

Jack's eyes grew with fright. It was the leader man with the red cross on his arm band. He was sure of it.

They had found him. They had come to finish him.

For the second time that night he wet his pants, and he started to scream.

***

The flames were starting to spread dangerously throughout the G wing. Jacob thought they had gotten all the patients to safety, that was until a Rook had called to him from down the hall on the first floor.

"There are more rooms in the basement, boss!"

He assessed the situation. It was not good. Beams were starting to groan above him and the smoke was getting thick. The fire was making its way toward them. He was torn between getting his men to safety, but the screams from the basement called out to them.

"Shit!"

Gathering a couple more Rooks to him, Jacob descended to the lower floor.

Flames were starting to eat through the wall to their right. On the left were the locked doors. The lack of ventilation down here concerned Jacob the most. He barked at his Rooks to work quickly before the smoke became a problem.

A rook was working on the first door. Jacob took the next. They broke through their doors at the same time. Entering the room he was at, Jacob was greeted by a shrill scream.

Surprised by the sudden sound, he took a cautionary step back, not quite sure what to expect. He forced his eyes to adjust to the darkness and looked around. He saw a little boy cringing against the wall, screaming bloody murder.

"Jesus, lad," Jacob said. "Calm down. I'm here to help."

He moved toward the boy, but the boy scuttled along the wall away from him until he hit the corner and could move no further. Jacob stopped in his tracks. He was aware that some of the patients here were not right in the head and needed to be dealt with in a certain way, but he really didn't have time for this. The building was on fire. Safety was foremost on his mind.

"Boss, what is that?" It was Steve, one of the Rooks. He came to see what all the screaming was about.

He indicated to the child cowering in the corner.

"Oh Jesus," Steve said.

Jacob had encountered children like this on the streets before. There was no mistaking that look. He had wild eyes, and he bared his teeth when he screamed. Though he was cowering in the corner, he was poised on his hands and feet, ready to pounce at any moment. The likes of this boy were usually shunned by the other street rats. They had a tendency to be dangerous, almost feral.

Jacob knew he had to be handled delicately. He made his way to him slowly. He raised his arms, making sure the boy saw his hands were empty, that he meant no harm.

The boy just kept on screaming.

"Boss, are you sure about this?" Steve said softly from behind him. The boy looked dangerous. Between him and the fire, Steve would no doubt pick the fire to deal with.

Jacob ignored him and kept his attention on the boy. He kept moving forward until he walked into a patch of moonlight streaming in from the tiny cellar window.

When he saw his face, the boy faltered. The scream died in his mouth and his jaw dropped.

Jacob took that opportunity to smile.

"P-papa?" his voice was hoarse from the screaming, but that one word had affected Jacob to the core. His voice was full of longing, of hope, it made him want to cry.

"My name is Jacob, lad" he said softly. "I've come to help you. It's not safe here. We must leave immediately."

The boy was about to reach out to him, but his eyes darted back to the door and he shrank back again.

"Steve," Jacob said without looking behind. "I need you to leave. Please. Go help the others. We'll be okay."

Steve backed away out of the room, but he kept an ear out for any sign of trouble.

There was a loud crash from the far end of the hall. The ceiling was starting to come down. The Rooks came running, patients in tow.

"This is the last of them," one of them said.

"Boss, time to move out," Steve called. "Hurry!"

More of the ceiling collapsed. It was getting nearer. The smoke was also starting to accumulate and get thicker.

"Boss!" One of the other Rooks called again, keeping his eye on the fire's progress.

Jacob appeared beside him, the child clinging onto him for dear life. "I got him. Let's go."

They ran up the stairs and made their way out of the burning building. They got out just in the nick of time.

As they ran from the building, the boy chanced a peek over Jacob's shoulder. A slow smile spread across his face when he saw a section of it collapse and burst into flames.

 


End file.
